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I I 



THE COWBOY’S COURTSHIP 


AND OTHER COURTSHIPS 



THE COWBOY’S 
COURTSHIP 


AND 

OTHER COURTSHIPS 

BY 


FANNY WILLIAMS GRESHAM 


> > > ) > 

» I > » > » > 3 > 



New York and Washington 
THE NEALE PUBLISHING COMPANY 
1904 




o 


(p 


library of congress 

Tw« C«pie« RcMived 


FEB 8 1904 

CUSS * )0(c. No 

s’ f> 



Copyright, 1904, by 

THE NEALE PUBLISHING COMPANY 


11 < ' ‘ 


c < « • • 


‘ « « 


< 


This book 

is most gratefully dedicated to the 
great-hearted, sympathetic world which 
so generously and quickly responded 
to the appeal of Galveston, 
Texas, in her hour of extremity. 


CONTENTS. 

Page 

The Cow-boy’s Courtship 9 

Norman’s Courtship 27 

The Irish Courtship 32 

Who Won? or The Double Court- 
ship 44 

The Old Maid’s Courtship 61 



THE COW-BOY’S COURTSHIP. 


Galloping full speed across the green 
prairies came a Texas cow-boy. Dash- 
ing up to Chaddo Mills Post Office, he 
suddenly pulled up his mustang and 
sprang lightly to the ground. 

Supple as a young rnesquite bush — he 
had laughing gray eyes, a bristly mus- 
tache, hair with a decided red tinge, and 
a complexion to match. He wore a wide 
sombrero pulled a little down on the left 
side of his head, a blue flannel shirt, cor- 
duroy pants, leather leggings and jacket, 
and a pair of dusty rawhide boots, with 
spurs. Around his waist he wore a 
strong leather belt holding his knives 
and pistols. 

Stalking to the post offlce, with a self- 
satisfied look, he poked his laughing face 
in the door. The postmaster caught his 
eye and gave him a friendly wink, which 


10 


THK COWBOY^S COURTSHIP. 


caused him to reach forward and grasp 
eagerly a square blue envelope, which 
the postmaster took out of one of the 
pigeon-holes in the side of the wall, 
marked with a large 

A letter! A letter at last! The one 
he had been swearing about for three 
long weeks. 

It was too sacred to be opened to the 
vulgar gaze of the idle crowd of hangers- 
around, so he sought the solitude of his 
beloved prairie. No one can fully appre- 
ciate the silence and reserve of the cow- 
boy. 

After a brisk gallop of three or four 
miles, the highly-prized missive was 
jerked out, and he exclaimed half-aloud: 

‘‘Jiminey Crackeny ! She has sent her 
letter to me in the same kind of an en- 
velope that I sent mine in.” 

Hastily, and with great force, the end 
of the envelope was torn off, and he 
found to his amazement his own letter 


THE cowboy's courtship. 


II 


in his hands, the letter he had taken all 
night to write. It ran thus, in poetic 
strain : 

“On the banks of the blue Leon 
I cannot live alone; 

Be my loving heart’s joy — 

I am your own cow-boy. 

“Be my own little bride, 

My pleasure and my pride; 

Be my devoted heart’s joy — 

I am your own cow-boy. 

“Be my own little wife, 

I love you more than my life; 

Be my burning heart’s joy — 

I am your own cow-boy. 

“Take me for your Gus 
Or my heart will bus’; 

Be my pleading heart’s joy — 

I am your own cow-boy. 

“Sorry my name, Gustus Jones, 

Only rhymes with stones and bones; 

Wish my name was Mr. Dooley, 

I would say, yours most truly.” 

Picking up the envelope, which he had 
dropped in his excitement, he read : 
‘‘Miss San Antonio Alamo Hedges, 
“Little Rock, Ark.” 


12 


the; cowboy's courtship. 


After reading the inscription, he noted 
that he had forgotten to put on it the 
name of the Young Ladies’ Seminary 
where she was boarding — yes, for print- 
ed in red ink on the left hand corner, 
under his own name, were the words, 
‘‘Returned to writer — unclaimed.” 

She should have his letter. 

To think was to act with this son of 
nature. 

In a few days, with the help of his 
comrade Joe Johnson, and five cow 
punchers, he had his drove of cattle 
ready to go on the “trail” to Arkansas, 
and as the first beams of the rising sun 
glittered on the waving grass and many- 
colored flowers of the prairies, their 
large herd was started on its long, slow, 
but by no means tiresome, journey. 

Over the undulating prairies covered 
with buffalo grass, Spanish daggers, all 
kinds of cactus and lovely wild flowers, 
laurel and mesquite bushes. Splashing 


cowboy's courtship. 


13 


through clear, sparkling streams of wa- 
ter, breathing the balmy Texas air, and 
feeling with every breath the joy of be- 
inig alive, the exhilaration of life. 

At night enjoying sound, refreshing 
sleep, with only his blanket for the 
“drapery of his couch,’’ for whoever 
heard of a cowboy having a dream; he 
is too busy with his snoring, which has 
an undoubted rhythm of its own, pre- 
venting one from being lonesome, be- 
cause you cannot help being conscious 
that you are not alone. And then the 
twinkling stars so far away. 

How the cow-boy loves the gleaming 
light of those little stars. Someway 
their steadfast, gentle light reminds him 
of his mother’s eyes. 

Under the tall, old live oaks, covered 
with hanging moss, the hearty breakfast 
of hot fried jerkin, ash-cakes, and coffee 
boiling hot, served in tip cups, was eaten 


14 


THE cowboy's courtship. 


with equal gusto, equal to any feast in 
marble halls. 

Then off they went with a whoop-a- 
whooy, the old yellow bronchos, the 
broncho-bucks, a-scurrying along. 
Sometimes a little harmless balking is 
seen, but our cow-boy stands no fooling, 
and the whip and spur soon conquers. 

The good two hours’ rest in the middle 
of the day in a fine location for grazing 
and water; dining on black coffee, jer- 
kin, and hot ash-cakes. Then the horned 
procession formed again, and all moved 
off to the music of the lowing herd and 
the shouting of the dare-devil cow-boys. 

Little Rock was reached at last, hav- 
ing traveled on an average of ten miles 
a day. Here they left the herd on the 
other side of the Arkansas River. 

The next morning, tearing down the 
streets of the city, they met a procession 
of school-girls. Gus’s eyes being sharp as 
an eagle’s, he immediately recognized 


THE cowboy's courtship. 


15 


Miss San Antonio Alamo Hedges, look- 
ing, oh, so sedate, walking demurely 
along by the side of a tall, slender fe- 
male. What a joke! Tony, whom he 
had seen corral a wild pony, ride horses 
bareback, jump fences, and fire a pistol 
as well as “he himself,’^ escorted around 
by a prim “school-marm.’’ 

As he rode along, his horse suddenly 
shied near the pavement, and he bent 
over and seized Miss Tony, who, quick 
as a flash, sprang up on the saddle in 
front of him, and amid the consternation 
and horrified cries of her companions 
and teachers, he bore her triumphantly 
off, and they speedily dashed away, far 
out into the country. 

If they could only keep on to Texas! 

Gus was almost too happy to breathe, 
but Tony came to her senses first. Pull- 
ing the horse up short, she jumped to 
the ground as quickly as she got up. He 
gazed at her in silent admiration. 


l6 THE cowboy's courtship. 

“Oh, Gus, Gus! Where on earth did 
you come from? Can’t you talk? Why 
didn’t you write to me, and why didn’t 
you tell me you were coming? Oh, 
Gus ! I am so glad to see you ! It has 
been so long since I saw you, and oh, it 
is so awfully dull up here.” 

Her only answer was Gus standing in 
front of her with a dirty blue envelope in 
his hand. Presently, in a very husky 
voice, he said: 

“It came back, Tony, and I had to be 
my own postman. I — ” 

But those bright eyes were now scan- 
ning the pages in her hand, while her 
sweet face got redder and redder, and 
her dimples played hide and seek around 
her rosy lips. 

“Gus, how funny! You are such a 
strange fellow. You know very well I’d 
rather be 'yours, most truly,’ than any 
old Mr. Dooley’s.” 


THE COWBOY^S COURTSHIP. 


17 


Gus longed to clasp her to his heart, 
and stepped nearer, with both arms out- 
stretched; but something — innate mod- 
esty, or maiden coyness — compelled 
Tony to dodge around the nearest mes- 
quite bush, while she laughed with joy. 
Why not? She was the luckiest girl in 
the world. Gus had acknowledged that 
he loved her. 

During the last six months that she 
had been away from home she had seen 
the difference between men that were 
men and men that were shams, or little 
hot-house dudes. 

Only yesterday, happening to look 
out of a window, she had seen a man be- 
ing helped up on a pony, who, when he 
was mounted, did not know how to fix 
his foot in the stirrups, but just stuck 
the points of his patent leather boots in, 
and when the horse started off at a brisk 
walk he bounced up and down in the 
saddle until his little cap blew off, and 


2 


i8 


the; cowboy^s courtship. 


he cried to a boy to hand it to him. At 
first supreme disgust prevented Tony 
from seeing anything ridiculous in this 
performance ; but soon her merry laugh- 
ter rang out and attracted a group of 
girls to enjoy the fun with her. How 
they laughed ! 

Horse’s hoofs striking on the ground 
were now heard approaching, and Joe 
Johnson appeared, dressed similar to 
Gus, only “a little more so,” having a 
few more knives and pistols. 

Again Tony’s sweet voice was heard 
to say: 

‘T am yours most truly, and not any 
old Mr. Dooley’s.” 

Could he believe his ears ? Could 
Tony really love an awkward, uncouth 
man like himself? His blood ran fire. 
Involuntarily he tried to clasp her in his 
arms, but she sprang out of his way, ana 
before he could touch her she jumped up 
in the saddle again, saying: 


THE cowboy's courtship. 


19 


“Gus, we must go back to the school 
now. And I do wish you could hear me 
tell those teachers and girls a sure- 
enough old-fashioned Texas yarn — how 
a cow-boy saved me from even worse 
than death, etc., etc.” 

Gus tried to conquer his longing to 
touch those “lips like a cherry — cherry 
like a rose.” Why would she always 
tremble like a leaf if he accidentally 
touched her, and when he felt that he 
would die if he could not grab her, she 
acted as though she would die if he did. 

Lately he had been questioning a few 
old married men as to “how on earth 
they ever got the girl to say ^yes.’ ” Old 
Mr. Hawkins said: 

“Don’t be too anxious — plenty of gals 
in this world; if one won’t have you, 
t’other one will. How did I manage my 
courtship? Go long, old fellow! Think 
I would tell you! It’s too much a part 
of my innermost soul for me to tell.” 


20 


THK COWBOY^S COURTSHIP. 


Mr. Smith put his head on one side 
and looked as wise an an owl, while he 
answered : 

“Have a good time. 

“ ‘The sweetest life that ever was led, 

Is always to woo, and never to wed.’ ” 

Gus was too disgruntled to ask Mr. 
Johnson for his opinion, but got his in- 
formation off-hand one lovely moonlight 
night as they were talking around the 
camp-fire. Mr. Johnson muttered half 
aloud : 

“Matrimony’s not all a sugared custard. 

It’s a compound of honey and mustard.” 

Returning to the city. Miss Tony was 
left at the gate of the Young Ladies’ 
Seminary. Despite the blood-curdling 
tale she related about her abduction and 
escape, to appease the anger of her 
teachers, she was locked up in her room, 
and put on a diet of bread and water for 
a week’s time. 


THE cowboy's courtship. 21 

For days Gus haunted the place where 
his sweetheart was last seen. At length, 
one evening about dusk, he spied a curly 
head at a third-story window, and recog- 
nized his Texas girl. Throwing his head 
back, he commenced to whistle with all 
his might: 

“My pretty little pink, I once did think 
That you and I would marry; 

But now Fve lost all hopes of you, 

I can no longer tarry. 

“I’ll take my knapsack on my back. 

My musket on my shoulder. 

And away to Texas I will go 
And be a valiant soldier. 

“Where money grows on white-oak trees, 
And the rivers all float in brandy. 

The hill sides lined with ginger bread, 

And the gals kiss as sweet as candy.” 

Before he had finished, the curly head 
was nodding, and his eyes were scan- 
ning the lofty stone wall, ten feet high. 
What of that ! He signaled as though 
he was throwing a lariat, and disappear- 
ed in the direction of his hotel. In a 


22 


THS cowboy's courtship. 


short time he was back at the wall with 
his long rope in his coat pocket. 

It was now quite dark, but he knew 
she was watching for him. Leaping 
over the fence was only a moment’s 
work, but how to reach the charming 
girl was another question. At last his 
eyes lighted on the upper and lower 
porches running the entire front of the 
house. The upper one was on a level 
with and only five feet from the side of 
the building containing the window 
where he had seen her smiling face. 

He climbed up to the second porch 
and threw his lariat as near her window 
as possible. He felt sure she would 
catch it, and after three attempts the 
rope was caught, and he dropped his 
end, which was quickly pulled over in 
her direction. In five minutes he was on 
the ground under her window, knowing 
as soon as she had fastened the end se- 
curely to a heavy article of furniture she 


THE cowboy's courtship. 


23 


would throw the other end down to him. 
They had often played this game of fire 
escape in the old barn at home. 

At last he was sitting in her window, 
and like two foolish lovers they laughed 
as though they would never stop. Our 
cow-boy laughed a little too loudly, be- 
cause, as Tony afterwards remarked, be- 
fore they had even time to say “Howdy- 
do,” or “Jack Robinson,” steps and 
voices were heard in the hall below. 
Tony cried : 

“Run, Gus, run. For heaven’s sake, 
don’t let them catch you in my room!” 

Gus was about to slip out of the win- 
dow down the rope, when Tony made 
him stop, saying: 

“Oh, stop, Gus I Don’t you see those 
folks in the yard?” 

In a “jiffy” the rope was pulled up, 
and he made for the door, stumbling 
over chairs and everything in his way. 
Determined, if he must be captured, he 


24 the cowboy^s courtship. 

would be as far away from his darling as 
possible, he rushed down the two long 
flights of steps, falling almost into the 
very arms of the fat and stately old ma- 
tron, who screamed worse than a steam- 
boat whistle. 

It took five policemen to drag Mr. 
Gustus Jones to the station-house. 
When there he positively refused to 
open his mouth. Too well he realized 
that public opinion was as sternly 
against him as the Tuscarora. Next to 
horse stealing (regarded as even worse 
than murder), came burglarizing. 

No matter what might come or what 
might happen, our hero decided, with 
innate and boundless chivalry, that all 
the condemnation and suffering should 
be his, and liis alone — her pure name 
should never be mentioned. No, he 
would rather go to the penitentiary and 
remain there the rest of his days. No 
one should know. She should be shield- 


cowboy's courtship. 


25 


ed at all hazards. He would be able to 
love her in one place as well as another. 

Meanwhile Tony saw Joe Johnson 
who told her his plans for their friend’s 
release, which were to be carried out 
that very night. They were to storm the 
jail and carry our hero off in triumph. 

Miss Tony suggested “it would be 
best to go at once and have an inter- 
view with the Governor in his home.” 
She could and would tell him the whole 
story, and he would fix everything up 
all right. 

This scheme met with approval, and 
forty or more cow-boys were soon “mus- 
tered up.” They formed a most pic- 
turesque body-guard for the brave and 
beautiful girl, marching to the Executive 
Mansion. 

An interview with the kind-hearted 
Governor was quickly obtained, and so 
pathetically and earnestly did the Texas 
girl plead her case, in proof thereof 


26 


THE COWBOY^S COURTSHIP. 


showing her greatest treasure, the po- 
etic love letter, that the Governor was 
moved to laughter, if not to tears, and 
lost no time in issuing the pardon for 
the release of the young Texan cow-boy. 


NORMAN’S COURTSHIP. 

“Now, ’deed I never have told nobody 
this, but I don’t mind tellin’ you; be- 
cause — well, because — because — 

“It was this away. I allers did know 
Norman was the best lookin’ man ’round 
here, but I didn’t say nothin’ about it, 
only jest every time I got a chance I 
would look at him, an’ it done me a lot 
o’ good — deed it did. Course you don’t 
understan’ it — course you don’t; but 
’deed it did do me a powerful sight o’ 
good! 

“After I had done had a reel good 
• look at him. I’d go an’ sot down some- 
wheres, an’ try an’ remember how he did 
look anyway ; an’ when I was a thinkin’ 
of him it made me reel down happy. 
Yes, an’ reel down sleepy, too. T went 
to sleep every night thinkin’ about Nor- 


28 


NORMAN^S COURTSHIP. 


man, an’ wonderin’ if I’d ever be able to 
sot my eyes on him next day. 

“So the time passed along by, an’ at 
last the apples they got ripe on our 
trees, an’ I got the bestest an’ ripest an’ 
reddest one on the trees, an’ put it away 
in the tall weeds near the chimley cor- 
ner, an’ the next time Norman came past 
our house, I jest threw the apple right 
down in front o’ his feet as he was a 
walkin’ past, an’ it was so^ig an’ red he 
picked it up pretty quick. An’ then he 
turned roun’ an’ looked at me, plunk at 
me. 

“His look went right on straight 
through an’ through me, an’ I don’ know 
’zactly what I said, nor what he said. I 
disremember. An’ I don’t know what 
happened after that — I was that happy. 
I was so happy as an angel could ever 
’spect to be. 

“Soon Norman he came to my gran’- 
ma’s house, an’ stayed all the time he 


NORMAN^S COURTSHIP. 


29 


wasn’t workin’. An’ mos’ every night, 
after he done eat his supper, we would 
set on the grass in front of the door-step, 
an’ he hoi’ my han’, an’ we both so happy 
an’ contented-like, we didn’t so much as 
say a solitar’ single word. 

‘‘My gran’ma she got mad (she reel 
old, old woman), an’ she said Norman 
was lazy an’ I was a fool. So my mother 
she sent me a long, long ways off, way 
up the country. 

“I stayed there, it seemed like ages, 
an’ couldn’t see Norman, an’ I just 
thought I was a goin’ to die. 

“ ’Cause — now I am tellin’ you the 
truth — ’deed I am. I just thought I 
would die, an’ I wanted to die if I 
couldn’t see Norman ag’in. I ached all 
over. I couldn’t sleep fer cryin’ to see 
him, an’ I couldn’t eat nothin’ — an’ oh, 
it makes me cry to tell you how dre’dful 
miserable I was! I was awful, awful 
bad off. 


30 


NORMAN^S COURTSHIP. 


'‘One day, while I was a makin’ the 
fire to cook breakfas’, I felt that Nor- 
man was a cornin’, — the same way I used 
ter feel when he walk a’past our house, — 
an’ so I jest didn’t do a thing but run 
into the woman I was a workin’ fer, an’ 
tell her I had the toothache so dre’dful 
bad I had to go to town to have it pulled 
out. 

"She told me to try some camph’r, but 
I felt my Norman was a cornin’ an’ I 
must go to meet him. 

"I jest tooked the time to throw a 
dirty apron, I saw on a chair, over my 
head, an’ I lit out down the road, hard as 
I could run, to town — runnin’ hard as I 
could run. I hadn’t had nothin’ to eat 
that day, but I never thought o’ that — 
no, nothin’ else but Norman a cornin’, 
an’ me a seein’ him ag’in. 

"I knew Norman was a cornin’. I 
felt him nearer. So I run an’ run, an’ 
jest afore dark that night I saw a man 


norman's courtship. 


31 


running’ tow’rds me — an’ I knew it was 
my honey Norman a cornin’ a runnin’ to 
see me. 

“I can’t tell you no more — that’s all. 
It was Norman. An’ I made up my 
mind that wild horses could never pull 
me away from Norman a’ gin.” 


THE IRISH COURTSHIP. 


'How did it happin?’ did yez ask. 
Why, th’ aisiest way in th’ worruld. 

"Th’ firrust time I waz married th’ 
weddin’ lasthed nine days an’ noights — ■ 
but this wan waz differ’nt, ez yez will 
see. 

"Oi kep’ a little sthure in th’ ould 
counthry after me husban’ doied, an’ 
made some poun’s an’ shillin’s, jist 
enough ter buy what we naded, me two 
childhers an’ meself. 

"It waz harrud worruk, an’ I waz glad 
whin Billy, th’ lad who had a job in th’ 
bar-room nixt dure, wu’d sthop ez he 
passed, an’ roll out me barr’ls, an’ do 
some heavy liftin’ for me. 

"After th’ day’s worruk waz done, he 
wu’d coome in an’ sing ter me, an’ this 
waz his fav’rite song: 


THE IRISH COURTSHIP. 


33 


“ ‘JOURNEY TO AMSTED. 

“ ‘’Twaz a wake ago — 

Oi waz twinty-wan, ye know ; 

Oi thought Oi wu’d loike ter cilebrate the day, 

So inclined to hev a sphree, 

Oi journeyed on ter see 
What Mary Ann might hev ter say. 

Chorus. 

“ ‘She’s the apple av me eye, 

And av coorse we always try 
Ter please the little darlints whin we can. 

Oi never shall forget, 

Oh, the happy day we met, 

Ez we journeyed down ter Amsted in th’ van, 

“ ‘Whin Oi propos-ed. 

She shook her haughty head. 

For rather harrud ter please waz Mary Ann. 

Oi waz goin’ ter tell her so. 

Whin she said, “Now, look here, Joe, 
Won’t you dhrive me down ter Amsted in th’ 
van ?” 


(Chorus.) 

“‘Now th’ van wu’d hould a scoore. 
But in got forty moore; 

There waz harrdly room ter breathe or see. 
Oi waz goin’ ter be perlite. 

When a parthy, not slight. 

Politely kem an’ squatted on me knee. 

3 


34 


THE IRISH COURTSHIP. 


(Chorus.) 

“ ‘Says she, “you do not moind” ; 

Says Oi, “nothin’ of th’ koind,” 

When black ez thunder looked me Mary Ann. 

She began ter use her tongue, — 

Called me worrse than Brigham Young, — 
Ez we journeyed down ter Amsted on th’ van.’ 

(Chorus.) 

‘‘Billy waz jist ez kind ez he well cu’d 
be, but sometoimes th’ saucy lad wu’d 
hev th’ imperdence-like ter grab me in 
his sthrong arrums an’ hug me. 

“Wanst, th’ day I tould him I waz 
goin’ ter sell out an’ go ter Ameriky, th’ 
bould Oirishman he loike ter eat me up. 
He acted loike he waz crazy. 

“Billy said he himself wu’d go wid me, 
beka’se himself an’ meself had become 
ter look ter each other fer company 
loike in sphare hours afther our worruk 
waz done. 

“What made me think av cornin’ ter 
Ameriky? Why, it waz Mrs, Maloney, 


THE IRISH COURTSHIP. 


35 


th’ loidy who lived in th’ house jist 
acrost th’ street from me sthure. 

“Often, afther we had refrished our- 
silves with a cup av hot tay, we’d look 
at th’ tay-l’aves in th’ bottom av th’ cup, 
an’ she wu’d tell me what she saw, an’ 
she mostly saw thin’s roight. Wan 
noight there waz a big lot av I’aves on 
the soide o’ me cup, an’ Mrs. Maloney 
cried out : 

“ 'Faith an’ bejabers ! A ship ! — a 
ship — a big ship ! Look at th’ sails ! You 
be goin’ to Ameriky!’ 

“Indade, there waz ez fine a ship ez 
yer might ivver see, an’ sich big sails ! 

“Shure, Mrs. Maloney said she wanted 
ter buy me sthure herself. Her cousin 
hed doied an’ lift her some money, an’ 
if Oi hed a moind to sell out, she hersilf 
wu’d buy me sthure, an’ give money 
enough fer me passage, an’ twinty 
poun’s over an’ above. 


36 


THE IRISH COURTSHIP. 


“So we got a man th’ papers ter fix 
oop, an’ me husband’s fayther said he 
wu’d tek me two lads an’ raise thim oop 
until Oi cu’d sind fer thim ter come ter 
me. 

“So afther Oi cried a lot, an’ kissht 
thim a thousan’ times er moore, an’ 
knowin’ so well ez Oi did they wu’d be 
well took care av Oi made oop me moind 
ter go ter th’ new counthry, ez Oi longed 
ter see Ameriky. 

“Ef Billy an’ me two lads cu’d hev 
coom’ wid me, Oi’d hev ashked fer noth- 
in’ better. Hows’ever, he hed his poor 
ould mither ter tek care av. 

“So Oi gev me darlint Billy me dar- 
lint firrst husband’s watch, a foine larrge 
watch — pure goold — almost ez large ez 
a small clock. Th’ poore foolish lad, th’ 
big tears rholled down his cheeks th’ 
w’ile he sez : 

“ ‘Th’ watch shall watch over an’ be- 
twane meselluf an’ yourselluf — yoursel- 


THS IRISH CX)URTSHIP. 37 

luf an’ meselluf — foriver an’ foriver 
moore.’ 

“An’ th’ way he ghrabbed me — shure 
he a’most squeezed me loife out o’ me 
body. 

“Mad? Was Oi mad? W’at cause 
hed I ter be? Why shu’d Oi be? Billy 
looved me shure an’ thrue. Oi knowed 
he did, be th’ illigant way he kisshed me 
an’ th’ scrutinizin’ way he looked at me. 

“Oi med up me moind thin an’ there, 
that shure Oi’d pay me Billy’s way ter 
Ameriky too, an’ hev him fer me ouwn 
husband in thet blessed new counthry, 
an’ likewoise he cu’d bring me two chil- 
dhers over wid him. 

“The noight we stharted, I waz thet 
awful an’ dre’dful lonesome, I waz loike 
ter joomp in th’ ocean an’ shwim back 
ter th’ shoore — ter me ouwn precious 
childhers an’ ter me Billy ; but me good 
common sinse kem ter me rescue ez 
usual. 


38 


THE IRISH COURTSHIP. 


''Th’ emigrants on boord wu’d inshist 
on singin’ ‘Oireland, Ould Oireland.’ 

“ ‘OIRELAND, OULD OIRELAND. 

“ ‘There’s a dear little Oisle, in th’ hyart av our 
sea, 

That’s known ez ould Oireland; it’s moore 
dear ter me 

Than all your fine meadows on th’ face av th’ 
earth, 

’Tis ould Oireland, dear Oireland, the place 
av me birth. 


Chorus. 

“ ‘Oi love your green meadows, your mount’ins 
an’ valleys; 

In me hyart there’s a corner where’er Oi 
roam, 

An’ th’ colleen who knows me, be night an’ be 
mornin,’ 

In the little cabin Oi wanst called me home. 

“ ‘Fer there all alone is me fayther an’ me mither, 

Me two phretty sisters, an’ Teddy, me brither ; 

An’ th’ colleen who knows me, be night an’ be 
mornin’, _ 

In th’ little bit cabin Oi wanst called me home. 
(Chorus.) 

“‘Shall Oi ivver forgit me ould playmate McGee? 

’Twas himself an’ meself, we hed many a 
sphree ; 


THE IRISH COURTSHIP. 39 

Fer we sthole all th’ hyarts at th’ Castleridge 
Fair, 

An’ th’ hyarts av th’ colleens ter make all 
things square. 

(Chorus.) 

‘Sthill Oi roamed o’er mount’in an’ wildwood, 

An’ dearer ter me is the home av me child- 
hood — 

Fer it’s Oireland, ould Oireland, th’ place av 
me birth; 

Oh! fer a glance av me counthry, me hyart 
yearns fer thee. 

(Chorus.) 

‘Shall Oi ever forgit? Jest behin’ th’ big hill, 

Where me an' our Teddy th’ kile used ter fill. 

An’ soil from th’ turf we wu’d bring home safe 
and shure. 

On th’ jackass’s back, ter me own fayther’s 
dhure. 

(Chorus.) 

‘Shall Oi ever forgit how we went pirate dig- 
gin’? 

An’ afther the worruk, oh th’ fun an’ th’ 
jiggin’. 

To th’ swate Oirish bagpipes, me and Mary 
O’Moore; 

Fer its ould Oireland, dear Oireland, all th’ 
world o’er.’ 


(Chorus.) 


40 


TH^ IRISH COURTSHIP. 


“Shure, th’ ship tuk a long toime ter 
cross thet big ould lot av salt wather; 
an’ me hyart waz thet sad, an’ so heavy 
ez lead all th’ way oover. 

‘‘Whin at lasht we got ter New Yor- 
ruk, Oi sint ter Billy a letther Oi hed 
been writin’ him all th’ way oover. 

“Oi hev thet letther now. Yis, some- 
toime Oi’ll let yer rread it, but shure it’s 
not any very foine readin’. It hez a 
many a blot, an’ many a yellow sphot on 
th’ poiper made be mie tears. 

“Oi tell yer, loidy, it’s an awful an’ 
mos’ terrible t’ing ter be a lone widder. 
An ould maid is very diff’rent loike — she 
nivver waz used an’ accusthomed like 
ter havin’ a man around. 

“Yis, it’s a coomfortable feelin’ ter 
aven know there’s a man who loves yer. 
Oi wu’d rayther hev Billy, an’ Billy’s 
love fer me, than all the goold in a goold 
mine without ’em. 

“Billy hez been ter me a very ready 


THE IRISH COURTSHIP. 


41 


hellup in toimes av all me throiibles — a 
shure-enough gay an’ loively young 
Oirishman. He kin sing an’ jig — an’ 
yer jest ought ter see thet man eat me 
rolls av a mornin’. It wu’d mek yer 
hungry ter se ’im eat. 

“Did Oi sen’ fer Billy an’ me two lads? 
It only tuk me some over a year ter mek 
enough money. Oi didn’ buy meself so 
much ez a pocket-han’kercher. Oi put 
ivery cint in th’ very botthom av me 
thrunk, an’ almos’ ivery bit av money Oi 
kissed over an’ over, bek’ase it did seem 
somehow ter me a livin’ letther ter me 
darlint Billy an’ me childhers. 

“Th’ day Oi sint th’ money over ter 
pay fer Billy’s an’ me childhers’ passage 
over here, shure it waz the loveliest day 
ever yer sawr. Th’ birrds sang — och, so 
loud ! — louder thin I ever hearrud thim 
befoore, an’ ivverythin’ jist looked beyu- 
tiful. 

“Oi counted th’ toime oop an’ con- 


42 TH^ IRISH COURTSHIP. 

eluded ez how it wu’d tek two wakes fer 
th’ money ter raych ’im, an’ thin it wu’d 
tek ’im a week er moore ter say good-by 
ter all our ould-toime frinds. 

“His poor ould mither hed died some 
t’ree months afore, an' shure it wu’d tek 
th’ same two wakes fer ’im to raych 
Ameriky an’ coome to Washin’ton — five 
wakes, five long wakes. 

“Oi waz in so much av a dre’dful-like 
hurry ter git th’ money off, Oi didn’t tell 
Billy th’ number av th’ house where Oi 
waz a workin’, shure ez he allers sint me 
letthers ter me addhressed ter th’ care 
av th’ Gineral Deliv’ry av th’ Posht Or- 
fiss. Oi knew enough about ’im ter be 
shure he’d go stret ter thet same Gineral 
Deliv’ry av th’ Posht Orfiss ter luk fer 
me. 

“So afther aboot some foor wakes waz 
oop, although Oi felt shure he cu’dn’t be 
in Ameriky fer moore thin a wake yet, 
ez soon ez me day’s worruk waz fin- 


THE IRISH COURTSHIP. 


43 


ished oop, Oi wu’d go ivery evenin’ ter 
th’ depot ter see if Oi cu’d see annybody 
whativer that aven looked like me Billy, 
an’ bless the Gracious Heaven! Th’ 
thirrd day afther th’ foor wakes waz out, 
Oi wint ter th’ depot, ez Oi sez, jist ter 
pass th’ toime away — an’ ez Oi waz a 
standin’ lookin’ all around me, Oi was 
onexpectely an’ suddintly lifted oop, an’ 
loiked a’most ter hev me loife squeezed 
out o’ me body be thet frisky young 
Oirishman — me Billy — ^jist frish from th’ 
ould counthry. 


WHO WON? OR THE DOUBLE 
COURTSHIP. 


For thirty years of his life Mose had 
been unconsciously in love with himself. 
Suddenly he became conscious that he 
was unaccountably in love with a rosy- 
cheeked, curly-headed girl, whose long 
black curls let the Texas winds blow 
them any way they wished, while the lit- 
tle short curls around her face tried to 
get into her eyes to hide the irresistible 
sparkle of fun' always lurking there like 
stray sunbeams. 

Going to the river one day to water 
his horse, Mose (the tenderfoot) for the 
first time saw the girl. She was trying 
to induce her bony old pony to cross 
the ford. 

The unavailing efforts of the girl were 
quite amusing. He could not help ad- 


WHO WON? OR TH^ DOUEI.R COURTSHIP. 45 


miring her persistence, which appealed 
to his easy-going disposition. He had 
never in his life, even in the greatest 
straits, had half the perseverance he saw 
being wasted on this Mexican pony. 

At last all other resources having 
failed, the girl dismounted, and started 
to wade the shallow river and lead the 
pony over. Mose rode up and told her 
if she would mount he would lead the 
pony across. Before he had finished 
speaking, the girl was in the saddle and 
handed him the bridle. 

The other bank being reached and the 
bridle returned, he said: 

“You certainly have a lot of persever- 
ance.” 

“Do you think I would let a pony get 
ahead of me?” 

Mose had never bothered himself to 
think very deeply about anything, so he 
used his eyes instead of his tongue, and 
discovered that the girl was as pretty as 


46 WHO WON? OR the double courtship. 


the wild roses growing along the river 
bank. 

Meanwhile, the girl used her eyes also, 
and found she was riding by the side of 
a lanky but good-looking young man, 
who, to her amazement, did not look at 
all like the cow-boys she had been ac- 
customed to meeting. Finally she said : 

“Where did you spring from, any- 
way?” 

“I did not spring; the river sprang 
from a spring, and if the pony had had 
any spring in him, he would have sprung 
you into the water.” 

“My, you talk like a spelling-book. 
Strange I never seen you afore.” 

“Strange I never saw you.” 

“Been around here any considerable 
spell?” 

“Only middling.” 

“Middling ! Why, that’s hog-meat, 
the best kind to cook cabbage with. Did 
you say your name was Middling?” 


WHO WON? OR the double COURTSHIP. 47 

‘‘No. I have been in the West only 
two months and sixteen days.” 

“Good gracious ! That is quite a spell. 
Why, since then the mocking birds have 
made their nests, laid their eggs, and 
almost finished raising their little birds.” 

“What is your name, anyhow?” 

“Loleta. What’s your name?” 

“Mose, or ‘Mosaic,’ as the fellows call 
me. 

To his surprise the girl looked serious, 
and said in an awed voice : 

“Mose; that’s Moses. A lovely Bible 
name. Most all the fellows round about 
this-a-way is named Tom, Dick, or else 
Jerry.” 

How it pleased him to have his name 
praised, in spite of his having laid all of 
his earthly possessions here, there, and 
everywhere. Hence his nickname “Mo- 
saic.” He had kept the name of “Mose” 
because he could dimly remember his 
thin, feeble old mother so tenderly call- 


48 WHO WON? OR THE DOUBLE COURTSHIP. 

ing “Mose,” and to him it actually 
sounded beautiful. 

While talking they were slowly riding 
along the picturesque winding road by 
the side of the river. Mose did not 
know, nor did he care, where they were 
going. 

When an old adobe house was reach- 
ed, Loleta said : 

“You must go now, but I hope you 
will spring up the next time I can’t make 
‘Shagtag’ cross the river.” 

“How often will you be going 
across?” 

“Don’t know; but the doctor said if 
this physic did not make the dreadful 
pain in mama’s head better, I must come 
again to-morrow.” 

While saying this the girl had slipped 
the saddle and bridle off the pony, and 
staked him out to graze. 

About daybreak the next day Mose 
pretended that he had to go to water his 


WHO WON ? OR THE DOUBLE COURTSHIP. 49 

horse. He found the place so inviting 
that he lay for hours on the river-bank 
watching the frogs, and humming half 
to himself : 

“ ‘Snake baked a hoe-cake 
And set a frog to mind it; 

Frog went to sleep, 

And lizard came and stole it. 

Bring back my hoe-cake, you long-tailed nannie !’ ” 

Several hours later he heard a clear, 
ringing voice singing : 

“ ‘Texas is the land of corn and cotton, 

My true love is ne-er forgotten.’ ” 

Wondering if her pony would cross 
the water, he slipped behind a project- 
ing rock and awaited results, fervently 
hoping that he would have to go to her 
assistance. No, the pony went in and 
began to drink. The girl’s bright eyes 
caught his, and she waved her hand. He 
came forward and tried not to look 
sheepish, while he said quietly: 

'‘Glad to see you again.” 

4 


50 WHO WON? OR THE DOUBLE COURTSHIP. 

After that she had just cause to be 
glad every day, for Mose spent all his 
spare time watering his horse and loiter- 
ing about the river bank. 

A cow-boy, Tom Sneed, always alert 
for a joke at Mose’s expense, soon found 
out the attraction which led him to this 
place, and it was noticed that his horse 
also required a good deal of watering. 

So Mose, to get ahead of him, would 
cross the river early every morning, and 
whenever Loleta had cause to come that 
way he was the first to see her. 

Something like Doctor Jekyll and Mr. 
Hyde, Loleta seemed to have a duplex 
character. At times she wore a small 
round hat, and would hold her head high 
in the air. On these occasions she 
would gladly greet him in cow-boy style : 
‘‘How, how! How, how!” But when 
she held her head down and wore a large 
hat, she seemed to be entirely ignorant 
of his being in existence. 


WHO WON? OR THE DOUBLE COURTSHIP. $1 

These changes, without any apparent 
cause, made him just about as miserable 
as a fellow could well be. His only con- 
solation was to dream about her, and 
send her in his waking hours thoughts 
of love. 

Sometimes he would go up into 
the seventh heaven through a feeling 
that she might and did love him, and was 
looking at the same moon and stars, 
and thinking of him. Notwithstanding 
this, if he happened to meet her the next 
day, and she had on the big hat, she 
passed him by as an idle dream which 
she regarded not. 

What kind of a girl could she be ? He 
gave her serenades, singing all the lov- 
ing things he had ever heard. This is 
the one he liked best to sing: 

“ ‘Come, dearest, the daylight is gone 
And the stars are unveiling to thee; 

Come wander my loved one, alone. 

If alone thou canst call it with me. 


52 WHO WON? OR TH^ DOUBLE COURTSHIP. 

“ ‘For soon, love, I must leave thee, 

To wander ’midst strangers alone; 

Where at eve thy kind smile will not greet me, 
Or thy pleasant voice at morn. 

“ ‘But, oh, it will be sweet to remember. 

That though I am far, far from thee. 

The hand of fate only can sever 
My lasting affections from thee.’ ” 

Once she came to the door and kissed 
her hand to him. But the next morn- 
ing she held her head down — wearing 
the large hat — and did not give him a 
smile even. 

To add to his misery, the next night, 
when he went to serenade Loleta, he 
heard Tom Sneed’s banjo, andknewTom 
was ‘'holding the fort.” Now he was 
sure that Tom was in love with Loleta 
also. Tom, the high and mighty Tom! 
What hope could there be for the ten- 
derfoot “Mosaic” if Tom started in to 
“win !” 

So he stayed away a whole week, but, 
could stand it no longer, and therefore 
determined to see her. He would go tc 


WHO WON? OR THE DOUBLE COURTSHIP. 53 

her and tell his love and know the truth 
— if she loved him or not. 

Tom Sneed was also much worried, 
because the girl in the small hat never 
noticed him at all. Not knowing what 
else to do, he bought all the candy 
hearts at the little country store, and 
emptied the bag into his coat-pocket. 
One by one he took them out and read 
the mottoes: ‘‘Do you love me?’’ “I 
am yours.” “Will you love me?” “Be 
my sweetheart.” All these were put in 
his vest-pocket, but “Do you paint?” 
and “Don’t be silly” were quickly eaten 
up, and “All for love” followed suit. 

How little love there was in the things 
after all. They simply asked foolish 
questions or asserted self-evident facts. 

If he could only hold her in his arms 
and keep her from looking at him! If 
he could have her head on his bosom he 
might be able to tell her how he adored 


54 WHO WON? OR TH^ DOUBI^E COURTSHIP. 

her. How the very thought filled him 
with rapture. 

So the next time he met the girl with 
the big hat he took several of the mot- 
toes out of hs right-hand vest-pocket 
and handed them to her, saying: 

‘‘Do you like candy hearts?” 

“Pretty well, thank you,” she answer- 
ed, putting them in her mouth. 

“Why, you never read a single one of 
them.” 

“Read, the mischief!” said she. “I 
have eaten bushels of them without read- 
ing the words printed on them. Any- 
body can say better or sweeter things 
than one finds on candy hearts.” 

“If you never read them, how do you 
know what they say?” he asked, a little 
amused. 

“Why, when I first went to school 
there was a boy who always had his 
pockets full of candy hearts, and after he 
read them to me I would stuff them in 


WHO WON ? OR THE DOUBLE COURTSHIP. 55 

my mouth to keep from laughing at 
him, and once I came very near being 
choked to death. Now I never try to 
swallow more than three at a time.’' 

Tom could not help joining in the 
merry laugh that followed, and during 
the rest of the ride he never handed her 
more than three at a time. But not one 
word of love did he venture to speak. 

A few minutes later, while smoking 
his cigarette, Tom Sneed thought it all 
over, and said half-aloud: 

‘T don’t care how awful pretty she is ; 
she shall not be friends with me one 
day and have a gay time eating my can- 
dy hearts, and the next day, simply be- 
cause she has on a more stylisher nar- 
rower-brimmed hat, pass me by as the 
wind, without even looking at me. No 
matter how much I like the girl and 
want to marry her, speak to me she must 
and shall, or I’ll know the reason. She 


56 WHO WON? OR THi: DOUBI,^ COURTSHIP. 

must think I’m blind if I don’t know her 
when she puts the other hat on !” 

Too angry to soliloquize further, he 
continued to smoke, but not in silence, 
for loud and deafening claps of thunder 
caused the frightened cattle to paw and 
bellow like demons, and their loud low- 
ing would have frightened even Dante’s 
‘‘Furies.” 

It had not rained before since April 
1 8, nearly two and one-half months; but 
after thirty-six hours of the heaviest 
downpour of rain, on July 5, 1899, the 
Brazos was reported to be rising at the 
rate of almost an inch an hour. 

The humble home of the girl they 
both loved was on one of the tribu- 
taries of the Brazos, and both realized 
the imminent danger Loleta would be 
in, and the utter impossibility of their 
being able to cross the river to her res- 
cue unless they started immediately. 

Without a word the horses were sad- 


WHO WON ? OR THE DOUBLE COURTSHIP. 57 

died, and both men started at the same 
time. Tom Sneed, always ready to 
‘‘face a man down,” said in his quiet 
way : 

“We’ll go together and do our best, 
and let her decide Who shall win, or 
‘Who Won.’ ” 

Mose looked as miserable as he felt. 
Tom Sneed was not very happy himself. 
“Why would girls always be as skittish 
as mustang ponies.” 

When the river was reached it was 
found to have more than doubled its 
width, and was rushing along at such a 
mighty rate that it seemed foolhardy to 
try to cross. They spurred their horses 
on, however, and plunged into the midst 
of the whirling, surging waters. Finally, 
after a long struggle, the other bank was 
gained. Silently the two men followed 
the course of the river, for the beautiful 
old road was all covered with water. 

They arrived at the place where To- 


58 WHO WON? OR TH® DOUBI,^ COURTSHIR. 

leta lived, but no house was to be seen. 
Only water, water everywhere. Just a 
few days ago contentment and happiness 
had reigned supreme in this lovely val- 
ley — now old logs and all kinds of de- 
bris were floating along in the muddy 
and whirling waters. 

Neither Tom Sneed nor Mose will 
ever forget the sight of those yellow, 
rushing waters, moving with a velocity 
of a mill-race over the fields of proudly- 
waving, tasseling corn and the beautiful 
fields of snow-white cotton. ‘‘Some- 
times the tassels of the corn showed 
above the waters, and occasionally the 
tops of the corn-stalks were visible, but 
more frequently they were not.” 

Putting spurs to their horses, they 
dashed onward, still closely following the 
winding river. Finally they came in 
sight of another little adobe house, al- 
most surrounded by the water. Two 
women were making signals to them to 


WHO WON? OR THE DOUBLE COURTSHIP. 59 

“hurry.’' They were evidently talking, 
but the roar of the waters drowned their 
voices. 

When they reached the little house, to 
their great amazement they discovered 
there were two girls, one of them ho- 
leta and the other her twin sister, an ex- 
act facsimile of the rosy-cheeked, curly- 
haired girl. The mystery was thus 
solved. 

The wide and narrow-brimmed hats 
were both lost, but Mose knew his Lo- 
leta by the stray sun-beams in her jet- 
black eyes; while at the same time Tom 
Sneed discovered that his wild-rose, 
“Rose” in name, had the most dimples 
and the rosiest cheeks. 

One of the sisters led Tom Sneed and 
Mose into the hut, where the mother 
was resting, and while they helped her 
out, Loleta brought up “Shagtag.” As 
the water was coming in rapidly, no 
time was to be lost, so the mother was 


6o WHO WON? OR the; double; courtship. 

gently and quickly lifted on the little 
pony, and the two young men, taking 
each a girl upon their strong horses, 
started through the deep mud and pour- 
ing rain to the nearest ranch, ten miles 
away, which was safely reached after 
hours of toilsome riding. 

Mose and Tom, in after years as 
brothers-in-law, often discussed the sub- 
ject of “Who Won,” but each insisted 
that he it was “Who Won.” 


THE OLD MAID’S COURTSHIP 


Violet Turner’s family was one of the 
most aristocratic in Galveston, Texas, 
and she was highly cultured and very 
charming. 

Much to the surprise of her many 
friends, she had reached the shady side 
of forty without any of her ardent ad- 
mirers having succeeded in capturing 
her heart. Still, one man there was who 
greatly attracted her fancy. She fre- 
quently met him at receptions and balls, 
and had even danced with him on sev- 
eral occasions, but as yet he had not 
asked the privilege of visiting her. 

The fashionable Mr. Guy Thompson 
was older, and certainly gayer, than Miss 
Violet, and his one aim in life was to 
have a good time. His favorite amuse- 
ment was to stand on the corner of one 


62 the oed maid's courtship. 

of the most popular streets and watch 
the pretty girls and handsome women 
who passed that way. 

Miss Violet might be said to be some- 
thing on the order, only the reverse, of 
''the last rose of summer.” As her 
mother expressed it, "Violet is too sty- 
lish to enjoy her life. If she were a sure 
enough violet she would try to bloom in 
the middle of winter in order to be the 
first to appear in spring apparel.” Be- 
ing a leader in fashion, instead of a 
flower, she insisted on standing for 
hours, during the hottest August days, 
having silks and all-wool tailor-made 
suits fitted. 

On the first day of September Miss 
Violet always "came out” in a stylish 
new fall suit. On the day mentioned 
she happened to turn the corner where 
Mr. Thompson was standing. He im- 
mediately recognized her presence with 
a bright smile of pleasure, at the sam^ 


THE OED MAID^S COURTSHIP. 


63 


time lifting his hat in the most graceful 
way. The smile so frustrated Miss 
Violet that she did not notice a banana 
peeling on the pavement, just under 
the high heel of her French boot. She 
slipped, and would have fallen to the 
ground if he had not stepped forward 
just in time to catch her in his strong 
arms. 

Her ankle was slightly sprained, and 
seeing she could not walk without pain, 
he gallantly offered her his arm and 
stopped a passing cab. Having helped 
her in, he bowed and started to go. But 
no, it was not to be. Seeing he was 
about to leave her, she looked in his 
face in a most charmingly irresistible 
way, saying: 

“Mr. Thompson, please do not leave 
me, I have not had time to thank you. 
Please do not leave me alone with a 
strange cab driver.'^ 

“I shall be only too happy to serve 


64 OI,D MAID^S COURTSHIP. 

you,” he replied, smiling again and tak- 
ing a seat in the cab by her side. 

Neither thought to tell the driver 
where to go, and seeing the lady had 
met with some kind of an accident and 
was unable to walk, he drove off with his 
horse’s head turned in the direction of 
the hospital, which was situated on the 
other side of the city. 

“How can I ever thank you sufficient- 
ly,” said Miss Violet fervently. 

“I am indeed fortunate to have been 
able to render you some little assist- 
ance,” he replied, wondering why she 
was so grateful. 

“What in the world made me slip?” 
she said after a short pause. 

“Why, some one had dropped a ba- 
nana peeling on the pavement, and as 
you turned the corner quickly you did 
not notice.” 

“Yes, I am a Turner,” she said laugh- 
ing. 


THE OED maid's COURTSHIP. 


65 


Meanwhile, Mr. Thompson was half 
repenting the thought he had when he 
helped her in the carriage — “If it had 
only been a sweet young girl I had 
caught in my arms, instead of this old 
maid.” 

A few minutes later, when Violet’s 
deep blue eyes met his, he was really 
ashamed of himself, and leaned forward 
to pull the shade of the cab window 
down a little more to keep the sun out 
of those lovely eyes. 

What a melodious voice she had, and 
what a fine, stylish figure. Strange he 
had not noticed them before. 

Just then, having stopped in front of 
the hospital, the driver opened the cab 
door. 

The lady, more excited than she had 
ever been in her life before, looked out, 
and on recognizing the hospital began 
to cry and sob hysterically, instead of 
telling them she wanted to go home. 

5 


66 


'fHE OLD maid's courtship. 


Mr. Thompson, being a stranger in 
Galveston, and having heard that the 
Turners were rich and had a very hand- 
some home, had a dim idea that this was 
Miss Violet’s residence. 

All the innate gentleness and courte- 
sy in his manly nature was aroused at 
the sight of the tears on the face of his 
frail, helpless little friend, so he said, 
almost in a whisper : 

'T will lift you out as gently as I can. 
Please do not be so frightened, for you 
shall not be hurt any more than I can 
possibly help.” 

His tender words, and the tone in 
which they were spoken, went to her 
heart. So, like a foolish woman, she 
cried and sobbed more than ever. 

The driver, being a married man, be- 
sides having numerous sisters-in-law, 
remarked : 

“Her crying will do her good, as it 


THE OED MAID^S COURTSHIP. 67 

will ease her mind. Can I help you lift 
her out?” 

Hearing this, Violet involuntarily 
grasped the firm arm of her friend, and 
she clung to him with all her might 
while he lifted her out of the carriage as 
one would a large doll 

The hospital was a handsome building 
with a long flight of stone steps leading 
up to the front door, but patients were 
usually carried to che side entrance, 
which was conveniently situated on the 
ground floor. 

Feeling happy because for the first 
time in his life he was performing a real- 
ly unselfish act, he started up the long 
flight of steps with the frightened woman 
in his arms. About half way up his foot 
caught in her long trail, which he, not 
knowing how to arrange, had allowed to 
hang down, and so it had flapped around 
until he caught his foot in it. 

Down he went with his precious bur- 


68 


THE OED MAID^S COURTSHIP. 


den, and over and over they rolled and 
turned, until at last the ground was 
reached. Fortunately they fell on their 
sides, and Mr. Thompson, being quite 
an athlete, soon succeeded in scrambling 
to his feet, holding Miss Violet, if pos- 
sible, a little tighter than ever. 

The driver had gone ahead to lead the 
way, so was powerless to help, and was 
standing in front of the big front door, 
his fat sides shaking with laughter. Sev- 
eral small boys were also standing 
around, enjoying the sight. 

Mr. Thompson, if relieved of his bur- 
den, would have enjoyed kicking the 
driver down the steps and giving the 
boys a good shaking, but as this was out 
of the question, he wrapped the torn 
remnants of the trail over his arm and 
started up the steps a second time. The 
driver by this time had stopped laugh- 
ing long enough to ring the bell, and the 
door swung open as they approached. 


THE OED maid's COURTSHIP. 


69 


To Mr. Thompson’s dismay he then 
discovered that the lady had fainted, and 
he felt that if she died he would be her 
murderer; so after the kind Sisters had 
taken Violet in their charge, he lingered 
for half an hour, when to his great relief 
they told him there was no serious in- 
jury, only some bruises and the sprained 
ankle, and that the lady insisted on see- 
ing him immediately. 

Neither Miss Violet nor Mr. Thomp- 
son would ever tell their dearest friends 
what was said during that interview. 

Who would dare to invade the sacred- 
ness of their mutual devotion? They 
were enraptured, transported with the 
ecstacy of their love. God is love. He 
is infinite. Therefore, unselfish love has 
no limit. The more we love the more we 
are capable of loving. What more true 
than 

“Every soul feels its incessant desire 
To give to another its fragrance and fire.” 

As soon as the good Sisters had been 


70 THE OED maid's COURTSHIP. 

liberally rewarded for their kindness, the 
big door was opened again, and he was 
seen carrying the lady safely down the 
steps. The driver asked for directions, 
and the party soon reached the Turner 
residence. 

While driving back to his hotel, Mr. 
Thompson’s mind reverted to the only 
other exciting thing that had ever hap- 
pened to disturb the even tenor of his 
days. 

One 4th of July, his patriotic blood on 
fire regarding the independence and 
equality of man, he determined to throw 
all conventionalities to the wind and talk 
to any and every one he might happen to 
meet, and have a good time celebrating 
the day. 

An old bicycle suit being resurrected, 
he went to the nearest store to get a 
common straw hat, and indulging an idle 
fancy, he treated himself to a red neck- 
tie, — blood red, — to go with the hat, he 


THE OED maid's COURTSHIP. 


71 


laughingly told himself. Next he se- 
lected some hose to go with the tie, and 
thus gayly arrayed he took the street 
cars to the Beach. After he got tired of 
walking about to show himself off, he 
hired the bathing suit that had the 
brightest and greatest variety of colors 
in it, and joyously wondering what his 
friends would say if they could see him, 
he swam to the nearest group of bathers, 
who turned out to be four girls, evident- 
ly alone. 

Finding the girls were no more afraid 
of him than he was of them, he com- 
menced paying them every attention 
possible. First he threw water at them, 
then he dived and came up right in their 
midst, then pulled their caps off and 
used them to throw water on them with. 
Finally, when he saw a high wave com- 
ing their way, he held on to two of them. 
The ice being thus broken, they chatter- 
ed away at a great rate. 


72 THE OED maid's COURTSHIP. 

Not relishing the thought that he 
might never meet them again, after all 
of the party had donned street attire 
once more, he asked one of the girls if 
he might call on her the next evening, 
and a nice little card was handed him, 
which much to his surprise read : “Miss 

Minnie Goodlove, 126 Avenue” 

— one of the most fashionable parts of 
the city. 

The next evening, dressed as usual, he 
found himself ringing the bell at the 
above number. An imposing butler, in 
livery opened the door, presenting a 
silver waiter for his card. After bowing 
him in the parlor the butler disappeared, 
but soon returned, asking him which of 
the ladies he wished to see? At the 
mention of Miss Minnie Goodlove’s 
name, a look of supreme disgust swept 
across the butler’s face as he said, 
straightening himself up as near the ceil- 
ing as possible : “She is the second 


THE OED maid's COURTSHIP. 


73 


house girl. You will please go to the 
basement entrance.” Mr. Thompson 
said afterwards that “he felt so cheap he 
would have sold himself for a penny, and 
had change left.” 

During the week following the acci- 
dent numerous bouquets, dainty boxes 
of choicest candies, and loving notes 
were sent to the charming lady, who no 
longer had a sprained ankle. 

“On Saturday, September 8, 1900, a 
fierce north wind commenced blowing 
over and through Galveston, while a 
violent storm was raging in the Gulf of 
Mexico, driving the waters of the Gulf 
on the beach with great force. About 
noon it became evident that the beauti- 
ful city of Galveston was going to be 
visited by disaster. 

“The wind was rising continuously 
and was so fierce that the rain cut like 
a knife.” 

Hearing that many of the elegant res- 


74 the oed maid^s' courtship. 

idences in the neighborhood of the Tur- 
ner mansion were being hurriedly aban- 
doned by their occupants fleeing for safe- 
ty to the higher portions of the city, 
Guy Thompson rushed to the Turner 
home, hoping it might be in his power 
to help the person he loved best on 
earth. Our hero was so fortunate as to 
reach the house just as the family were 
about to leave. 

Mrs. Turner was a widow and Violet 
her only child, so they were only too 
glad to accept Mr. Thompson’s kind of- 
fer of his own suite of rooms in one of 
the best hotels in the highest part of the 
city. The wind was blowing with in- 
creasing fierceness, and it was raining 
in torrents when the family carriage 
started. 

Indeed, the records of the Weather 
Bureau showed afterwards that the wind 
actually reached a velocity of 84 miles 
an hour, when the measuring instru- 


THE OLD MAID^S COURTSHIP. 7^ 

merits blew away, and it was impossible 
to tell what was the maximum. 

“By three P. M. that awful, never-to- 
be-forgotten day, the waters of the Bay 
and the Gulf of Mexico met, and by 
dark the entire city was submerged.” 

On their way to the hotel a telegraph 
pole fell on the prancing horses, killing 
them instantly, and the sudden fall and 
the awful crashing of the breaking 
shafts and other parts of the carriage 
shocked and dumfounded the party. 
When they realized what had happened 
they hurriedly sought refuge in the 
nearest store. This they found already 
occupied by forty or fifty refugees from 
the lower part of the city, for black and 
white alike were made welcome and as 
comfortable as possible. 

Night was rapidly approaching, and 
the electric light plant and gas works 
both being flooded, all who did not pro- 


76 


THE OED maid's courtship. 


vide themselves with lamps or candles 
would soon be left in total darkness. 

Thankful that he had his promised 
bride and her mother with him, Mr. 
Thompson started to brave the cutting 
wind and pouring rain to procure 
candles and lamps; but the ladies very 
wisely refused to allow him to leave 
them. 

“To go on the street now was 
almost to court death, as the wind was 
blowing a perfect hurricane, and roofs, 
cisterns, telegraph poles, and portions of 
buildings were constantly falling. 

“The highest portion of the city was 
from four to five feet under water, while 
in the great majority of cases the streets 
were covered to a depth of ten feet. 

“Such a long, dark night of agony and 
terror was never lived through by peo- 
ple in modern times. The noise of the 
wind and crashing of the falling houses 
was terrifying in the extreme, but they 
were as nothing compared to the heart- 


the; oIvD maid's courtship. 


77 


rending shrieks of the injured and the 
dying.” 

How useless and void to Violet and 
Guy seemed the employments and the 
enjoyments of the past years of their 
lives. 

When the roof of the house they were 
in was blown off, a falling brick struck 
Mrs. Turner on the head. She had just 
kissed her daughter and her promised 
son, and had told them that the true se- 
cret of all happiness was to obey the in- 
junction of Our Father, to deny our- 
selves and to take up our cross daily. 
“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with 
all thy heart, and thy neighbor as thy- 
self.” “When this is done,” she said, 
“we can claim the blessed promise : 
‘Neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor 
principalities, nor powers, nor things 
present, nor things to come, nor height, 
nor depth, nor any other creature, shall 
be able to separate us from the love of 


Life. 


78 


THE OED MAID^S COURTSHIP. 


God which is in Christ Jesus our 
Lord.’ ” Without a struggle her gentle 
spirit took its flight. 

About one forty-five o’clock Sunday 
morning, September the 9th, the wind 
changed its course to the southeast, and 
the waters of the flood in the streets 
began to subside. By daylight the 
streets were practically clear of the flood 
waters. 

Galveston had forty thousand inhabi- 
tants the day before the storm. 

No one will ever know how many 
thousand persons, men, women, and 
little children were killed and drowned 
that dreadful, dark night of terrible 
horrors. 

The property lost was between $15,- 
000,000 and $20,000,000. The city was 
entirely destroyed, hardly a building re- 
maining uninjured. And worst of all, 
hundreds of dead bodies were to be seen 
in all kinds of conditions. 


THE OED maid's COURTSHIP. 


79 


“Those who were so fortunate as to 
escape the fury of the wind and waves, 
and of the falling buildings, had to view 
the most horrible sights the next morn- 
ing. The most morbid imaginations 
would fail to depict even half.” 

On September 1 1 Governor Sayers 
reported that $10,000 had been given 
by Texans. Many eastern and western 
newspapers telegraphed the Governor, 
offering to establish themselves bureaus 
for relief funds for the Galveston suf- 
ferers. From all over the world came 
words of sympathy. From the Atlantic 
to the Pacific came railroad trains load- 
ed with provisions and clothing. 

One newspaper started two relief 
trains in one day. It was utterly impos- 
sible, in this short Courtship, to try to 
tell even one-fourth of the wonderful 
things accomplished. 

Thus was the Old Maid’s love, by ef- 
fort and sympathy made to blossom into 


8o 


THE OED maid's COURTSHIP. 


that higher love for suffering humanity, 
which ennobleth all. From that day 
Mr. Thompson was a changed man. 
Thinking only of the good he could do 
to others, he found the happiness he had 
sought in vain. Selfish hearts are never 
truly happy. 

Our hero, with every other man in 
Galveston, engaged most earnestly in 
the work of relief. They scarcely gave 
themselves time to eat or sleep. 

Violet Turner found that the people 
were almost perishing for want of water, 
and having heard that salt water could 
be utilized in making coffee, she made 
coffee day and night. No doubt this 
beverage saved the life of many thirsty 
sick men, women and little children. 

Never was truer heroism shown. Al- 
though a week ago these people had 
lovely homes and were basking in the 
sunlight of prosperity, they were now 
homeless and without anything to eat. 


the: oi,d maid's courtship. 8 1 

except for the charity of the world — 
still there was no whimpering, no com- 
plaining heard. Each tried to help the 
other. 

‘‘Galveston had most nobly demon- 
strated that the great world which so 
quickly and generously responded to 
her appeal for help was not doing idle 
charity, but helping brave, appreciative 
people. These men have not only re- 
built their loved city by the sea, but will 
make one more beautiful and enduring 
than the one which was so suddenly de- 
stroyed.”* 


*I am indebted to the newspapers for the facts 
as stated in this story regarding the Galveston 
flood.— F. W. G. 


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